Folding rack for clothes hangers

ABSTRACT

A tubular body is fastenable normal to a ceiling by an end, and has a pair of oppositely disposed channels longitudinally defined therein. A pair of arms are loosely fitted in the channels and respectively pivoted therein adjacent a free other end. An operating shaft is slidably mounted in the longitudinal center hole defined by the tubular body and is operable by a handle projecting from the free end of the rack. A tension line passes through transverse holes defined in an end of the operating shaft and intermediate the ends of the tubular body. The free ends of the tension line are respectively secured to the arms equally from either of their similar ends for translating movement of the operating shaft to moving and supporting the arms. Springs are provided to bias the arms outward, and locking means are provided to lock the shaft in its fully inserted position in the tubular body and also the arms in their respective channels.

[ Nov. 18, 1975 FOLDING RACK FOR CLOTHES HANGERS Inventor:

New Orleans, La. 70150 Filed: Mar. 5, 1975 Appl. No.: 555,658

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1906 Carr 211/117 2/1911Gehrke 211/165 12/1923 Wood 211/165 1,587,674 6/1926 Patterson. 21 1/1.32,490,265 12/1949 Gillespie 21 1/1.3

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,099,628 1/1968 United Kingdom 211/118Louis J. LaBeaud, P.O. Box 50814,

Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Terrell F. LewisAttorney, Agent, or Firm-James B. Lake, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A tubular body is fastenable normal to a ceiling by anend, and has a pair of oppositely disposed channels longitudinallydefined therein. A pair of arms are loosely fitted in the channels andrespectively pivoted therein adjacent a free other end. An operatingshaft is slidably mounted in the longitudinal center hole defined by thetubular body and is operable by a handle projecting from the free end ofthe rack. A tension line passes through transverse holes defined in anend of the operating shaft and intermediate the ends of the tubularbody. The free ends of the tension line are respectively secured to thearms equally from either of their similar ends for translating movementof the operating shaft to moving and supporting the arms. Springs areprovided to bias the arms outward, and locking means are provided tolock the shaft in its fully inserted position in the tubular body andalso the arms in their respective channels.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures grin, 40

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 FOLDING RACK FOR CLOTHES HANGERS BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention I The invention relatesgenerally to racks and more particularly to foldable racks for clotheshangers.

2. Description of the Prior Art I The closest category was in clothesdriers: some were telescoping devices as in G. Ogilvie, US. Pat. .No.3,415,386; some had no containing member and comprised a large pluralityof pivoted arms. as in E. A. Illig, US. Pat. No. 2,166,592; andsome werescrew operated as in G. N. Galloway, US. Pat. No. 947,591. In anothercloser category, that of clothing racks, the prior art disclosed anumbrella type mode of operation and structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is for a contractablerack for installation above a clothes drier. The rack receives andsupports coat or clothes hangers on which permapress and otherartificial fiber garments can be immediately hung as they are removedfrom the drier.

It is an object of the invention to provide a contractable rack forsupporting clothes hangers on which clothes are hung as they are removedfrom a drier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contractable rack thatis suspendable from a ceiling, is simple to operate, economical to make,and uses a minimum number of parts.

Other objects and a more complete understanding of the invention may behad from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sideelevation of theinvention with folded arms;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along section lines 33 of FIG. 2,somewhat reduced;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along section lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; andI FIG. 5 is another sectional view taken along section lines 5-5 of FIG.3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 the inventioncomprises a ceiling mount 10, a tubular body 12, a hinge base 14, and alock block 16 rigidly connected end to end in that order by screws 18.Arms 20 are pivoted by respective pivots 22 in channels 24 definedlongitudinally in oppositely disposed sides of body 12, and an operatingshaft 26 is slidably mounted longitudinally therein. A tension line 28connects arms 20 with an interior end of the slidably mounted operatingshaft 26 through a transverse hole 30 defined in body 12 intermediateits ends. Springs 32 are mounted in body 12 between arm pivots 22 andtransverse hole 30 and adapted to outwardly bias arms 20 when pivotedinto channels 24. The length of tension line 28, the distance betweenceiling mount end of body 12 and transverse hole 30, and the distance oflongitudinal travel of operating shaft 26 are coordinated to lower arms20 to a position normal to body 12 from a position parallel thereto atthe respective limits of travel of shaft 26 longitudinally in tubularbody 12. An eliptical flange 34 fixed to shaft 26 adjacent and exteriorend thereof fits through a similarly shaped hole ceiling mount 10.

.36, interiorly defined in lock block 16, and rides up on erably is ovalor eliptical in cross-section. Channels 24 are defined by body 12 in theoppositely disposed sides with the longest radius. Screws 18 fastenceiling mount 10 to an overhead which may be directly over a clothesdrier from which clothes are to be unloaded. Similar screws 18horizontally driven in the recessed part of ceiling mount 10 and intothe recess-received part of annular body 12 along its shortest radius atrespectively oppositely disposed, ends thereof secures body 12 toReferring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, annular body 12 defines a centerlongtiudinal hole having a larger diameter in the part betweentransverse hole 30 and ceiling mount 10 than in the part between saidhole 30 and hinge base 14, the larger diameter part being for receivingboth operating shaft 26 and a bight of tension line 28.

I Referring to FIG. 3, hinge base 14 is cross-sectionally shaped toconform to an end of body 12 and is partially recessed in continuationof channels 24 to permit the pivoted ends of arms 20 to swing withoutbinding.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, lock block 16 defines an oval oreliptical center hole 36 similar in shape and slightly larger thanflange 34 in a fixed end thereof, and defines a longitudinal center holecoaxial with the center hole of body 12 and oval center hole 36 but witha diameter slightly larger than the largest diameter of oval flange 34for the remainder of the length of lock block 16. The long sides of ovalhole 36 are oppositely beveled with bevels 38 as indicated in FIG. 5 forflange 34 to ride up on when operating shaft 26 is rotated as it ispushed toward ceiling mount 10 to thereby lock said operating shaft inits fully inserted position in the body.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, shaft 26 has a handle 44 fixed to anexterior end projecting from a free end of body 12, and a hole 46defined adjacent an oppositely disposed interior shaft end.

To operate after mounting on an overhead, handle 44 is rotated untilflange 34 registers with oval hole 36 and pulled downward to slideoperating shaft 26 in coaxial mined by tension line 28 that passestheret-hrough being unable to descend into the smaller diameter centerhole I defined between transverse hole 30 and hinge base 14.

Tension line 28 passes out of body 12 through the holes 46 and 30 tosupport arms 20, that have been biased outwardly by springs 32, normalto body 12 for receiving hangers on which clothes from a drier have beenhung. When the drier has been unloaded and all the clothes hung onhangers and removedfor wear and storage, the hanger rank can be foldedand left in position for a next use, by pushing operating shaft upwardlyinto body 12, the tension line being carried upward into the definedcenter longtitudinal hole to draw up arms 20 into channels 24 andcompress springs 32. The orientation of line 28 in holes 30 and 46aligns flange 34 with oval center hole 36, and a quarter turn of handle44 engages said flange with the beveled edges of hole .36 and locks saidoperating handle in its fully inserted position with arms fully foldedinto channels 24 and tension line in body 12.

The channel ends of hole 30 may be beveled downwardly and outward towardtheir respective channels, the longitudinal hole ends may be beveledupwardly and inward toward said longitudinal hole to reduce friction ontension line 28 as it is drawn through said holes.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding rack for clothes hangers comprising in combination:

a. a ceiling mount for securing to an overhead;

b. a tubular body for securing to said ceiling mount by an end, anddefining a longitudinal center hole,

a transverse hole between its ends, and oppositely disposed externalchannels extending longitudinally from end to end and transversely tointersect outboard ends of said transverse hole;

. a pair of arms adapted to respectively fit into said channels andpivotally mounted therein by pivots through similar ends of said armsadjacent the ends of channels remote from said ceiling mount;

d. an operating shaft slidably mounted in said longitu' dinal centerhole for travel of an end between said transverse hole and the end ofsaid tubular body adjacent said ceiling mount, and for rotating relativeto said tubular body, said shaft defining adjacent to said shaft end atransverse hole therethrough for registering with said transverse holedefined in said tubular body at the lower end of said shaft travel;

e. a tension line for threading through said transverse holes in saidtubular body and operating shaft and secured to said arms an equaldistance from similar arm ends; said line being adapted to travel withsaid operating shaft in said center hole above said transverse hole; and

. Means for locking said operating shaft in a fully inserted position insaid tubular body, thereby locking said arms in folded position in saidchannels,

2. A folding rack for clothes hangers as described in claim I whereinsaid ceiling mount is recessed to receive an end of said tubular body,and is oppositely flat to fit against an overhead for respectivelyfastening with screws driven normal to contacting surfaces.

3. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said tubular is ovalin cross-section, and said oppositely disposed external channelsextending from end to end of 4 said tubular body are normal torespective ends of longest cross-sectional diameter.

4. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said transverse holedefined between ends of said tubular body intersect said centerlongitudinal center hole and respective channels and are beveleddownward at said channel intersections and upward at said center holeintersections for reducing wear on the friction line.

5. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein spring means aremounted in said tubular body above and adjacent said arm pivots andadapted to bias outward said arms from their respective channels.

6. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein an annular hinge baseis engaged concentric with a free end of said tubular body and definestransverse recesses adapted to receive pivoting interior ends of saidarms as they swing outward.

7. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said means for lockingsaid operating shaft and arms in a folded position comprises:

a. an oval flange fixed to lower end of said operating shaft; and

b. an annular lock block mounted as the lowest element of said rack anddefining with a longitudinal center hole a coaxial oval hole adapted toreceive said oval flange therethru and above as said operating shaft isslidably advanced to folded position and rotated.

8. An annular lock block as described in claim 7 wherein said oval holedefined therein has its longest edges oppositely beveled for engagingsaid oval flange to ride up thereon when rotated.

9. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said longitudinalcenter hole defined in said tubular body is larger in diameter abovesaid transverse hole, said larger hole for receiving said operatingshaft and two runs of said tension line, than defined below saidtransverse hole which is adapted to receive said operating shaft only.

10. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said tension line isflexible with low coefficient of friction for dually, in combinationwith said tubular body, supporting in suspension said arms in unfoldedoperable position, and, in additional combination with said operatingshaft and its locking means, folding and locking said arms in theirrespective channels.

1. A folding rack for clothes hangers comprising in combination: a. aceiling mount for securing to an overhead; b. a tubular body forsecuring to said ceiling mount by an end, and defining a longitudinalcenter hole, a transverse hole between its ends, and oppositely disposedexternal channels extending longitudinally from end to end andtransversely to intersect outboard ends of said transverse hole; c. apair of arms adapted to respectively fit into said channels andpivotally mounted therein by pivots through similar ends of said armsadjacent the ends of channels remote from said ceiling mount; d. anoperating shaft slidably mounted in said longitudinal center hole fortravel of an end between said transverse hole and the end of saidtubular body adjacent said ceiling mount, and for rotating relative tosaid tubular body, said shaft defining adjacent to said shaft end atransverse hole therethrough for registering with said transverse holedefined in said tubular body at the lower end of said shaft travel; e. atension line for threading through said transverse holes in said tubularbody and operating shaft and secured to said arms an equal distance fromsimilar arm ends; said line being adapted to travel with said operatingshaft in said center hole above said transverse hole; and f. Means forlocking said operating shaft in a fully inserted position in saidtubular body, thereby locking said arms in folded position in saidchannels.
 2. A folding rack for clothes hangers as described in claim 1wherein said ceiling mount is recessed to receive an end of said tubularbody, and is oppositely flat to fit against an overhead for respectivelyfastening with screws driven normal to contacting surfaces.
 3. A foldingrack as described in claim 1 wherein said tubular is oval incross-section, and said oppositely disposed external channels extendingfrom end to end of said tubular body are normal to respective ends oflongest cross-sectional diameter.
 4. A folding rack as described inclaim 1 wherein said transverse hole defined between ends of saidtubular body intersect said center longitudinal center hole andrespective channels and are beveled downward at said channelintersections and upward at said center hole intersections for reducingwear on the friction line.
 5. A folding rack as described in claim 1wherein spring means are mounted in said tubular body above and adjacentsaid arm pivots and adapted to bias outward said arms from theirrespective channels.
 6. A folding rack as described in claim 1 whereinan annular hinge base is engaged concentric with a free end of saidtubular body and defines transverse recesses adapted to receive pivotinginterior ends of said arms as they swing outward.
 7. A folding rack asdescribed in claim 1 wherein said means for locking said operating shaftand arms in a folded position comprises: a. an oval flange fixed tolower end of said operating shaft; and b. an annular lock block mountedas the lowest element of said rack and defining with a longitudinalcenter hole a coaxial oval hole adapted to receive said oval flangetherethru and above as said operating shaft is slidably advanced tofolded position and rotated.
 8. An annular lock block as described inclaim 7 wherein said oval hole defined therein has its longest edgesoppositely beveled for engaging said oval flange to ridE up thereon whenrotated.
 9. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein saidlongitudinal center hole defined in said tubular body is larger indiameter above said transverse hole, said larger hole for receiving saidoperating shaft and two runs of said tension line, than defined belowsaid transverse hole which is adapted to receive said operating shaftonly.
 10. A folding rack as described in claim 1 wherein said tensionline is flexible with low coefficient of friction for dually, incombination with said tubular body, supporting in suspension said armsin unfolded operable position, and, in additional combination with saidoperating shaft and its locking means, folding and locking said arms intheir respective channels.